Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



A. V. T. DAY.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.4,19IB- RENEWED AUG. 18,1921.

1,393,011. A Patented 001, 11, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT AY, on NEW ROCHELLE, EW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION swrron & SIGNAL o0MrANY,oF swrssvALn. PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- SYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRAFEIG-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d 0 11 1 Continuation of renewal application Serial No. 193,394, filed September 26, 1917, and a division of application Serial No. 637,773, filed July 10, 1911.

Renewed August 18, 1921. Serial No. 493,432.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I,,ALBERT V. TvDAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Trafiio-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway traific controlling apparatus.

The' present application is a division of my co-pending ap lication filed July 10, 1911, Serial No. 63 ,773, for trafiic controlling system, and is a continuation of my c0- pending renewal application filed September 26, 1917, Serial No. 193,394, for railway traflic controlling apparatus.

I will describe one form of trafiic control ling apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a view, partly diagrammatic, showing one form of traffic controlling apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, R designates a track rail ofa railway track, over which trafiic moves in the direction indicated-by the arrow. This traffic is controlled by signals located at intervals along the track, two of which A. and B, are shown in the drawing, each comprising a home semaphore H and a distant semaphore D. These signals are controlled by any suitable means, which means are not shown in the drawing since they form no. part of my invention.

The block between signals A and B is occupied by a train T. hence signal A indicates stop; signal B indicatesclear, showingthat the two blocks in advance of block AB are unoccupied. The train T carries apparatus which is operated by the movement of the train and which tends, after movement of the train through a predetermined interval of space, to accomplish some suitable function operating to stopthe train or to give a signal to 49 with which the pinion 48 meshes.

This application filed April 4, 1918, Serial No. 226,584.

-valve cylinder communicating with pipe setting means hereinafter explained and pushed up thereby. The piston and rod tend to fall by gravity, but are restrained by means connected with a wheel or axle of the tra-1n so that the downward movement of the piston is in accordance with the movement of the train along the track.

As here shown, the restraining means comprises a shaft 14 on which is fixed a worm wheel 13 which meshes with a worm 12 on an axle 30 of the vehicle, so that as the velncle proceeds in the direction indicated by the arrow on the wheel, shaft 14 1S rotated in the direction indicated bythe arrow around this shaft. A Worm 15 on the shaft 14 meshes with a worm wheel 16 fixed on a shaft 17 which latter is suitably mounted on the vehicle. Loosely mounted on the shaft 17 is a pinion 48 which coacts with a detent 18, which latter is pivotally mounted on the worm wheel 16 and is pressed into the teeth of the pinion 48 by a spring 130 with suificient force to cause the pinion to be rotated when the worm wheel, is rotated; the spring will, however. yield to permit the pinion to be rotated independently of the worm wheel 16. I l

.The piston rod-51 is provided with a rail:

s the train moves in the direction indicated by 16 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon, and the pinion 48 is rotated in the same direction due to-the engagement of the detentlS with the teeth of the pinion, so that the piston54 and rod 51 are permitted to fall gradually in" accordance with the progress of the train.

The parts thus far described are so designed that if the piston 54 is raised at the entrance end of a block, as for example, at signal A, the train will run one block and a slight distance into the next block, to a point a for example, at which point the pinion 48 will have rotated sufficiently to permit thepiston 54 to open the vent 56,

the arrow in the trackway, the worm wheel 7 thereby causing an application of the brakes,

unless the piston has in the meantime been raised again. 7 7

Located at intervals in the trackway are devices adapted to reset the train-retarding apparatus; that is, to raise the piston 54. As here shown, such a device is located ads jacent each signal A and B, and is con trolled by the distant semaphore of the adjacent signal. Each device comprisestwo toggle links 68 and 71, located in the path of movement of a wheel 52 journaled on the end otthc piston rod 51; The link 71 is pivoted to the track rail by a pin 72 and a corresponding pin 7 0 passes through a slot 69in the end of link 68, thus permitting the toggle to be raised and lowered. The toggle is controlled by the distant semaphore D of the adjacent signal through the following mechanism: Operatively connected with the semaphore is a vertical rod 61 which is connected with one arm ofa bell 'crank lever 62 the other arm of which is connected with a rod 65 beside the track.

"lhe'other end of rod 65 is connectedwith one arm 66 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 64, the other arm 66? of which is connected with a link 67. This link is also connected to the pivot 67 joining the toggle links 68 and 71. When the semaphore D is in the inclined position(as shown at signal B) itraises the toggle links through the mechanical connections just described, so that these links are in position to reset the apparatus on the train. .lVhem'however, the semaphore D is in the horizontal position (as shown at signal A), the toggle links 68-'71 are depressed so that they are out of the path of the wheel 52 on the train retarding apparatus.

lVhen a train approaches a signal station, the piston 54 and wheel 52 have fallento nearly the lowest position of their stroke. This is the condition of the parts on train T, which has. nearly reached signal B. The two blocks in advance of block A--B are unoccupied, hence signal B indicates clear; the adjacent toggle 68 71 is therefore elevated so that wheel 52 will be raised by link 71 therebyraising rod 51 and piston'54 and thus resetting the apparatus so that the train may proceedunretarded to the next signal. While the train retarding apparatus is being thus reset, spring 130 yields and thus permits the pinion 48' to rotate idly on shaft 17 If, however, one or the other of the two blocks inadvance of block A-B were occupied by a car or train,

signal B would indicate caution or danger and the adjacent toggle would be depressed so that wheel 52 would not be raised; the tram would then be brought to a stop at point x a short distance in advance of signal B.

Below the rack 49 is a recess 50", the purpose of which is as follows: lVhen the train is runbackward, the pinion 48 willv elevate the piston 54 until the pinion runs off, from tially resettingthe apparatus to permit the train to proceed a short distance. This hold: out comprises a pin 53 on the rod 51- which engages a hold-out arm 58 substantially at the time that the brakes are applied. The arm 58 may be oscillated between two fixed pins 60 and 59 thus partially resetting the apparatus and permittingthetrain to run a short distance before the brakes will be applied. a

In order that the driver of the train may always know the position of the piston 54 and so be enabled to ascertain how far he may proceed before the brakes will be applied, a pointer or index 63 is' attached to thepiston rod and arranged to'cooperate with a stationary pointer 63, the two pointers being so arranged thatthey will be in alinement just as thepiston 54 opensthe "vent'56.

I do not claim in this application the broad sub ect matter disclosed herein, such claims being in mypatent application Serial No.

637,773,016 which the present application is a division. v r Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus'embodying-myinyenti'on, it is understoodthat vari ous changes'andmodifications may be made therein within theijyscope of the appended claims withoutf departing from "and scope ofmy invention.

the spirit hicle adapted to travel thereon, apparatus on the f vehicle connected: with a wheel or axle thereof and capable of an operative position which it approaches, in, accordance with the movement of'the vehicle, vehiclegovern1ng means rendered operative by said apparatus whenthe latte-r reaches. said operativeiposit-ion,and devices located at in-12'0 tervals in thefti'ackway for mechanically re- "setting said'apparatus away from said operative position.

2.1111 combination, a railwaytrack, avehicle adapted to travel thereon, apparatus on the vehicle connected with a wheel or *axle thereof and capable of an operative position whichit"approaches in accordance "with the movement of the vehicle, vehiclegoverning means'rendered operative by said apparatuswhen the latter reaches said operative position, a member on the vehicle for resetting said apparatus away from operative position, devices located at intervals in the trackway and adapted to engage said member for operation thereof, each device being movable into and out of the path of said member, and means for each device for the control thereof.

In combination, a railway track, a vehicle adapted to travel thereon, apparatus on the vehicle connected with a wheel or axle thereof and capable of an operative position which it approaches in accordance with the movement of the vehicle, vehicle-governing means rendered operative by said apparatus when the latter reaches said operative position, inclined members located at intervals along the t-rackway, a roller on the vehicle adapted to be moved by said inclined members and to thereby reset saidapparatus away from operative position, and means for moving each inclined member into and out of the path of said roller.

l. In combination, a railway track, a vehicle adapted to travel thereon, apparatus on the vehicle connected with a wheel or axle thereof and capable of an operative position which it approaches in accordance with the movement of the vehicle, vehicle-governing means rendered operative by said apparatus when the latter reaches said operative position, a member on the vehicle for resetting said apparatus away from operative position, signals located at intervals along the trackway, and devices operatively connected with said signals and movable thereby into and outof the path of said member, each device being adapted when in the path of said member to move the latter to cause the apparatus to be reset away from operative position.

5. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually toward an ultimate condition, traffic governing apparatus on the vehicle controlled by said means, and devices located in the traclnvay for mechanically resetting said means away from ultimate condition.

6. Railway traffic controlling apparatus comprising means on a vehicle arranged to change gradually toward an ultimate condition, within a given distance traveled by the vehicle, traffic governing apparatus on the vehicle controlled by said means, and devices located in the t-rackway and responsive to clear tafiic conditions in advance for mechanically resetting said means away from ultimate condition before such condition is reached.

7. Railway traflic controlling apparatus comprising a member carried on a vehicle and arranged to move downwardly from an initial position to an ultimate condition within a given interval, brake applying apparatus controlled by said member, and devices located in the trackway for mechanically raising said member to its initial position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT V. T. DAY. lVitnesses MARCIA E. BROWN, A. L. VENGILL. 

